What Constitutes A Family
by EspirituDelMar
Summary: Like everyone else, Tony had blood-related family. But it is said that "Sometimes it's the family you're born into and sometimes it's the one you make for yourself", and it wasn't until he was older that he finally found his.
1. Chapter 1

The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder.

Jim Morrison

* * *

When Tony Stark was three years old, he adored his father.

At that age, Tony was incredibly intelligent, a genius, but still child who loved his parents like any other innocent child does, no matter how they treated him. He loved his mother too, of course, but his love for his father was deeper, and he could be often found following him around like a little lost duckling. He played near him, tried to sneak into his workshop, he looked at him with adoring eyes, he listened eagerly every time he told him about Captain American and how he saved the country. He evenpersonally knew said hero! Wasn't daddy amazing?

But daddy was never with him, and he always told him to go away, to stop following him, stop getting inside his workshop, to leave him alone. It hurt Tony deeply everytime daddy told him this, but he was intelligent enough to understand daddy was busy, and that he couldn't always have time to pay him attention. Besides, mommy said that daddy loved him, and that was enough. Maybe when he had enough time, he'd finally pay attention to him, maybe he could even play with him a little! But in the meanwhile, if he wanted to play he went to Jarvis or his mommy though she refused to play with him more and more often, and little Tony couldn't understand why.

"Why doesn't mommy want to play with me anymore?" He asked Mr. Jarvis one day. Jarvis smiled sadly at him and then distracted him by asking about how the circuit board was going.

"It's going great!" Beamed little Tony "Look!" And the child, successfully distracted, dragged the butler over his project and started chatting animatedly about it, delighted with the way Mr. Jarvis was paying attention and asking all the right questions.

"Do you think daddy will like it?" He asked once he finished his explanation.

"I'm sure he will love it" Mr. Jarvis assured him. Tony beamed happily and continued working on it. He finished it by the time he was four and proudly went to show it to daddy.

* * *

The first time he tried, daddy was talking with a scary looking man wearing a black coat. When the man noticed him and turned towards him Tony, in all his four-year-old innocent bluntness, asked: "What happened to your eye mister?"

"Tony!" His father snapped angrily "What the hell are you-!"

"Shut up Howard," The man told him sternly, making daddy look angrily at him. He then walked towards Tony and crouched down to his level.

"Are you okay mister?" Tony asked when he didn't move, waving a little hand in front of his face. The man chuckled slightly, ruffling his hair slightly "I'm okay, little one. And I lost my eye in a war if you must know,"

"You fought in a war mister?" Tony asked, his eyes widening in surprise "Was it the same war Captain America fought? Did you know him?"

"No, not that one, and no, I didn't have the privilege. Do you like Captain American, kid?"

"Of course!" Tony beamed "Daddy says he's a hero! I want to be like him when I'm older!"

The man was going to add something, but he was cut off.

"Tony, stop babbling nonsense!" He ordered tersely, making Tony's grin and enthusiasm die "Now go, Nick and I have important things to talk about."

"But daddy, I wanted to show you-"

"NOW!"

Tony wanted to protest, but he knew it wasn't wise and, sad and hurt, he ran away towards his room, where he curled around his precious circuit board and tried valiantly not to cry. Daddy said that Stark men didn't cry, and he was a Stark so he couldn't cry. But why didn't daddy want to see the circuit board? He was so proud of it, he wanted to show it to him! A few tears escaped from his eyes, and he doubled the effort to contain them.

Daddy was just busy, he told himself. He'd just have to show it to him when he was alone. Then maybe daddy would hug him and tell him how intelligent he was like Mr. Jarvis did. He may even let him inside his workshop! Little Tony smiled at this renewed hope and dried his face. He then went to look for Mr. Jarvis to see if he wanted to play.

* * *

The second time Tony tried to show it to him, daddy was drinking that stuff that made him behave weirdly.

"D-daddy?" He asked, hugging his circuit board against his chest.

"Hmm?" Howard hummed, not turning around.

"I- I wanted to show you something" Tony stammered, his heart beating nervously on his chest "Look, I made it myself!" He added when that didn't make him turn around. Daddy glanced at him and noticed what he was holding. He turned around and took it, examining it.

"This is a circuit board," He said, "You said you did it?"

"Y-yes, all alone!" Tony answered, a proud smile on his face.

"And why exactly did you want to show me this toy?"

Tony's smile crumbled down at those words.

"It's not a toy! It works!" He protested.

"And? This thing is just a toy, and I have no interest in it. Aren't you too old for toys by the way?" He added, handing the 'toy' back and turning around. Tony took it and ran away like the first time, curling on his bed and letting the sobs escape him. It didn't matter, he thought, daddy would never know.

After sobbing his heart out, he stared at his precious circuit board that daddy had labeled as a 'toy'. It seemed this wasn't enough for daddy after all. But why? Did daddy not love him? But mommy said that he did! Then why did daddy didn't like it?

The optimism typical of children made him decide that it wasn't that his daddy didn't love him. His daddy was very smart, so of course he'd think this was simple! He would just have to do something more complicated to get his attention! Tony smiled and began to think what exactly he could build next.

Well, daddy loved cars didn't he? He maybe couldn't build a car, but he knew something he could try

* * *

At the age of six, Tony Stark built his first engine.

He was quite proud of it, and he even tested it on one of daddy's cars with Mr Jarvis's help. He had been so proud that he had hugged him with a huge smile on his face, making Tony grin too. If Mr. Jarvis liked it, then surely daddy had to like it too!

He may have done it, of course...if the time tony chose to show it to him hadn't been one when his daddy was drunk out of his ass after another fail at locating Captain America.

"What is this boy?!" Yelled the man "Stop playing around! Steve is still out there, and this piece of shit won't help finding him!" He ranted and ranted about how useless he was, how Steve was a thousand times better that him until Tony couldn't take it anymore and ran away crying once more. But this time, Mr. Jarvis found him and hugged him worriedly, asking him what was the matter. Tony told him in between sobs, making Mr. Jarvis hug him more fiercely with each word. After he finished explaining and the sobs had subsided a little, Tony looked at Mr. Jarvis with tear-filled eyes and asked:

"Why doesn't daddy love me?"

"I'm sure that's not-"

"It is! I'm supposed to be a genius, I'm smart enough to see it!" He shouted, tears travelling down his eyes "I always knew it, but I didn't want to admit it! And mommy doesn't love either, does she?" He sobbed "Have anyone ever loved me?" He asked with such a broken voice that Mr. Jarvis's heart broke, bringing tears to his eyes.

"I do love you, Tony" He choked out "Never doubt it, my boy". Tony cried louder at those words and hugged him fiercely.

That was the day that Mr. Jarvis became just Jarvis.

It was also the day that 'mommy' and 'daddy' became 'Maria' and 'Howard'.

* * *

When Tony was seventeen Jarvis, the only one he considered family, died at a car crash along with his parents. That night, he got incredibly drunk and his college friend, James Rhodes, who he'd nicknamed "Rhodey", had to take care of him.

If he cried, both of them pretended not to notice.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sooo my muse had finally returned! Inspiration struck me! And thus, here you have the next chapter. Enjoy! :)**

Their meeting is like a whirlwind, fast and confusing. Especially because the last thing Tony expected that day was a red-haired woman with a pepper spray attacking his security guards to point out a mistake he'd made on his finances.

Virginia Potts, AKA Pepper, was the best thing that could happen to Tony Stark's life. She was serious, efficient and didn't accept his bullshit. That's why he made her his PA on the spot.

But it isn't until after shit hits the fan and the process of his radical change in attitude starts that he really appreciates her appearance on his life.

* * *

The first step in that process was the kidnapping.

The hot desert, the pain of Yinsen's hands on his heart (literally), the fear and uncertainness of his days trapped in those caves... he felt helpless. He knew he was going to die because he refused to give the terrorists what they wanted, and he was finding himself to be okay with it. What did he have to live for anyway? Now that he had his eyes so brusquely open, now that he could see that he wasn't protecting people, but killing them with the very weapons he designed, he felt he didn't really deserve to live.

"Then you are a man that has everything and nothing" Yinsen had said. And oh, Tony didn't really have the words to express how accurate that statement was. And how miserable it made him feel, realizing that he hadn't really done anything with his life. He'd partied, he'd had sex with thousand of people, he'd got his stomach pumped hundreds of times from alcohol poisoning, he'd wasted his money on all the luxury he could think of... and for what? Nothing. They were all means to quell that emptiness he always felt alone on his bed at night, to ignore it for a few hours until it came back with vengefulness. It was one of the reasons he hid on his workshop and worked with music at maximum volume until he finally felt exhausted enough to sleep.

It was a realization that nearly made him finally give up. But.

"Then you have to make this week count for something, don't you think?"

It also made him think.

You need to understand something about Tony Stark. He might be your usual rich boy. He might be a drunkard, a playboy, and a fucking mess. He might even not be that strong physically.

But a Tony Stark who finally gets over his bullshit and focused on using that incredible brain of his, a Tony Stark who finally starts to think, was a very, _very_ dangerous man. Especially if he was feeling desperate.

And quoting some future words from Nicholas Fury, Director of SHIELD, those terrorists had made him _really_ desperate.

So he made an arc reactor for the shrapnel on his heart, a metal suit from scrapes of missiles, and _blew them into smithereens._

What he didn't count was on Yinsen dying for him, dying to meet his family...

"Don't waste your life" Yinsen had said.

And the first step on his change was finally taken, as the resolution to take his advice cemented firmly in Tony's mind, even if the pain was consuming him.

The repressed tears on Pepper's eyes when she saw him get out of that plane made him rethink the answer he'd given Yinsen about not having no one. And that made everything just a little bit better.

* * *

The second step was the betrayal from someone he trusted.

He really didn't expect it. The man who had been beside him when his father didn't, the man he'd considered a surrogate father, who had been always there, was suddenly a traitor. Someone who had just been bidding his time until the goose laid his last golden egg — until Tony weren't of use anymore, to discard him and take the money and power.

He was the cause Tony's hands were now stained with the blood of innocents, of all the victims of his weapons, the weapons meant to protect America, not to be sold to the very people trying to destroy it.

Now, laying there, with a hole on his chest and feeling himself dying, he saw it so clearly he could've punched himself if he'd had the strength. The way all of his smiles were just a tad too cold, too calculating to be real. The way that man had always given him the creeps, however slightly. How Jarvis didn't really like him, how Pepper always seemed uncomfortable in his presence. They were all signals to stay away from him, but no, Tony Stark knew he was too intelligent and knew better than to trust his senses and those around him.

Dummy may have saved him, but that single betrayal marked him. He hadn't been overly trusting before but now? Now his trust issues had increased tenfold, to the point that his trust issues had trust issues. The even with Natalie Rushman in a few months would just reinforce that.

It also made him cling to those who already held his trust: Rhodey, Jarvis. Pepper. Pepper, who was the only one he had in that moment. Pepper, who had trusted him when everyone was accusing him of overreacting due to PTSD, even Rhodey, his very best friend since MIT.

Rhodey was forgiven, of course, but the trust he held diminished slightly. Pepper had been there, Pepper had trusted him, had helped him.

He was very lucky to have Pepper there. It was then that he realized that. And that he might be falling in love.

* * *

The third and final step was the palladium poisoning.

Of course, there were many other steps before that, but this one was the most important. More important than that whole deal with Vanko. Because he was, once again, dying.

It's funny, how the possibility of dying puts everything in perspective, and yet how he was still so damn stubborn, how he hid it from everyone, letting them blame it on his usual recklessness.

Instead of telling them, all of them, and especially her, he just prepared everything for his demise. He prepared a suit for Rhodey so the world would still have a superhero to protect it, he updated his will, and he entrusted Pepper with his precious company. She was, he knew, the best person for the job, so damn efficient and good in what she did; the company would be in good hands.

He had some flashbacks of when he was dying on those caves, of the things Yinsen told him, and he meant to follow them, really. He meant to tell Pepper about the poisoning and how he loved her, so he could have something before he died so he wouldn't do it alone. He meant to make his last days count, do something good, and in part that was the reason of the aftermentioned preparations.

Instead, in a truly Tony Stark fashion, he threw a party, following what Natalie had told him. "I would do whatever I wanted with whoever I wanted".

It nearly seemed like he hadn't learned anything from his mistakes. But well, at least he could trick Rhodey into taking the suit. That was something.

And after that he went away, partly to continue following the advice Natalie had given him and eat a donut inside a donut (something he'd always wanted to do), partly in shame for what he'd done, for how disappointed Pepper had looked on him.

Then his luck struck again, in the form of a needle stabbed on his neck courtesy of his former PA Natalie Rushman, AKA Natasha Romanoff, a spy working for SHIELD, and a black pirate man, Nicholas Fury, director of the aftermentioned organization.

And also his father, he had to admit it.

But now, Tony had some hope and motivation (in the form of Agent Coulson and his Scary Taser). He could get over his bullshit and finally think like he was used to doing, able to focus on the problem at hand.

It didn't hurt that he was, again, desperate.

Because he'd realized that he couldn't give up so easily. That was the moment he decided that if he was going to die, it wouldn't be by some lame poisoning or by the hands of terrorists. If he died, it was going to be doing something good, something worth dying for.

This gave him a sort of laserlike focus that surprised Agent Coulson in a positive way and made him suspect that the Tony Stark everyone knew wasn't the real one. Which would influence the decision of letting him in the Avengers in the future, despite Natasha's report. It wouldn't get him accepted, but it wouldn't make them discard him either. Maybe as a consultant... But that would be later

Another decision was to finally man up and tell Pepper what he felt. All of this near-deaths he'd had in less than a year, along with the Iron Man business, had shown him how easily he could go down. He had to grab at whatever happiness he had in reach because maybe tomorrow a supervillain or even a malfunction on the suit could kill him. And Pepper... Pepper was a good thing. A great thing even. A woman he'd be a fool to let go.

And he did it. It has been said that a Tony Stark who finally starts thinking again was a dangerous man. When he also has focus he turns into a force of nature, utterly unstoppable until everything had gone his way, and that's what he did.

He built a particle accelerator in his basement. He reinvented a new element. And then, he went and beat up the bad guys, getting to finally kiss his girl on a rooftop a few blocks away from the mayhem he'd caused.

* * *

And after that, the next year was perfect. He was alive, still Iron Man, and had Pepper on his life. Half a year later, Pepper was a little distant, but his life was still perfect, and he had finally finished his (and Peppers') self-sustaining Tower.

Then, the Avengers and Loki happened, and he had to guide a nuke into a portal that led to fucking _space_ and a spaceship full of aliens.

He'd decided it, didn't he? That he would die doing something good, something worth it. And what was more worth it than saving the Earth from an alien invasion? He had no regrets about it, except the grief Pepper and Rhodey would suffer over his death. And that he couldn't hear her voice before he lost consciousness.

But he survived and even impressed damned Captain America, who apologized for the words he'd said on the Helicarrier, something that Tony, fumbling and uncomfortable, did too, ending their acquaintance with a firm handshake. Tony returned to the Tower with Bruce and fell into the arms of a sobbing Pepper, who was just so relieved to see him alive. Tony returned the hug strongly, firmly, reassuring her that he was still here, that he was fine.

That night was sweet and emotional, and a few tears escaped both of them. And before they fell asleep, Tony saw a sad but determined look on Pepper's blue eyes that felt like taking a bullet to his heart.

And so, a week later, Pepper and Tony broke up. Pepper couldn't stand seeing him risking his life like that, even if she understood that Iron Man was a part of him that neither she nor anyone else could ask him to stop. She couldn't stand the possibility of seeing him die on TV or being noticed of it by an impersonal phone call.

Tony just accepted all of her reasons with a sad smile and hid the hurt and the broken heart they were causing. Because she was right, he couldn't bear to make her suffer like that, and he had known from the start that someone this good would never stay with him forever. But he didn't regret this time they had together, didn't regret taking the chance when he had, because she had been worth it, and she was worth this hurt and sadness.

He doubted he would be okay ever again because Pepper had been his life. But he would try because she was already feeling guilty about hurting him, and he didn't want to make her even more miserable.

He would try, for her. And maybe one day he'd manage to turn true the 'fake it 'till you make it' phrase. Maybe some day, he'll be okay.

Until then, he'd have to endure the emptiness that had returned again with the help of his work and booze.

* * *

 _To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose t_ _he next best._

 _William Makepeace Thackeray_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Soo, after so long, here is the third, and last, chapter of this fic! I hope you like it ^^**

 _Friends are the family we choose for ourselves._

 _Edna Buchanan_

* * *

The next few months after the battle against the Chitaury was cleaned up and done with, after the Avengers disbanded, after Pepper left him, were a blur on Tony's mind. There were a few blotches of clarity, though: Rhodey visiting him to console him, meetings and trying to look good and hs usual self for Pepper's sake, blurry images of code, and Jarvis's worried voice calling him.

So in many ways, the dual attack from someone called Doctor Doom and another supervillain called Emma Frost to Manhattan was a godsend. Especially when halfway from suiting up he received a call from Nick Fury telling him to hurry because the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, the ones who usually dealt with both respectively, it seemed, were out so the Avengers were needed; Hawkeye and Widow had already been sent to deal with them, Rogers had been sent for and Banner was being searched for.

Hearing this Tony was struck with a rare sense of nostalgia, suddenly wondering how the people he hadn't thought about in half a year had been. The only ones he vaguely knew where they were was Thor, in Asgard, and Bruce, somewhere in Africa where he'd flown him per his request.

It would be good to know about them, he thought as he flew towards the battleground, asking Jarvis to hack the comms (he refused using SHIELD technology, it had cooties) so he could communicate with his teammates.

"Hey everyone, nice to hear from you again" He cheerily greeted repulsing some giant robot away from the red-haired woman on the field "Hope I'm not late to the party"

"You and I still need to talk about your definition of party Stark" Came Natasha's dry voice from the comms.

"If it involves your death thighs then I'm all for it" He joked watching her do that move to some blond hottie with a weapon, probably provided by that Doom guy. The blonde suddenly turned shiny (was that diamond?) and threw her off, going to punch her with her diamond arm until Natasha managed to block her. He would've made another comment but another robot attacked him and he left the matter drop.

"Why do I feel like I missed your smartass remarks?" Said Hawkeye in a droll voice, blowing a robot with an explosive arrow.

"I am precious like that" Tony snarked back. The archer and him had bonded briefly during the shawarma outing, after Tony got fed up with the awkward silent (he never really liked silences – too many bad memories of neglect and feelings of abandonment), and they had discovered they both had that smartass-and-assholy-but-kinda-witty sense of humor, though the archers' was more sarcastic than his.

Now that he thought about it, he'd kinda missed him too. And Bruce, the lab hadn't been the same since he was gone.

"Seriously guys?" Came Roger's amused voice, sounding surprisingly less serious and 'stick up his ass'-like than he had half a year before "A serious battle against giant robots and you are joking around?"

Huh, his little travel must've made him some good.

Damn, now he realizes he'd missed him too, even if he seemed to hate him. And Thor, and even Natashalie.

"Well, not everything can be as interesting as an alien invasion Cap" Hawkeye's smartass remark jolted him out of his thoughts enough to catch the huff Steve gave in response.

Or maybe it was from cutting one of the robot's legs with that vibranium shield of his, who knows.

"Well now that you, oh fearless leader, have joined us I have but one thing to say," Tony said, grinning "Your call Cap"

And just like that, the three Avengers fell in line behind Captain America, their teamwork flawed but there nonetheless; that connection Tony had felt when Coulson's death had reminded them what was important, what they were fighting for, was still there even after all that time.

And hell if it didn't feel good. It was like a missing piece Tony hadn't been aware of slipping into its rightful place, the last line of code in one of his inventions making the machine what he wanted it to be, and suddenly Tony's feeling of emptiness was, not filled, but completely forgotten.

The following battle against the two allied supervillains also helped quite a bit.

* * *

When they finally managed to make the two bad guys run with swears of revenge they were recalled to SHIELD's Helicarrier for a debrief, where they found Doctor Bruce Banner to their collective surprise, looking uncomfortable but slightly happy to see them all again.

"Brucie!" Tony exclaimed with a grin "How have life been in whatever undeveloped country you've been holing up?" His words made Bruce roll his eyes slightly, used to the genius's mannerism.

The surprising bit that Tony took note of was Steve's slight irritation not blowing into an argument or even a righteous remark.

God that travel _really_ helped the guy, didn't it?

"I've been okay, thanks" Bruce answered in that polite way of his "How have you been? Things going okay with Pepper?"

Tony froze slightly, not expecting the question. But of course, Bruce was gone before they broke up, wasn't he? And he hadn't really been in a place to watch the news, so of course he didn't know.

He ignored Roger's compassionate look that replaced the irritation when he replied nonchalantly "We broke up about a year ago, but yes, things are going okay with her. As friends I mean. It was a mutual decision, don't worry" He added when he saw the regretful wince Bruce gave at the news "We are completely fine, no bad feelings on either side"

Thankfully Fury chose that moment to finally enter the room and they all sat down. Natasha and Clint, who had ignored the slightly awkward conversation between the two geniuses, sat in front of each other, Steve next to Natasha and Tony between Bruce and Clint.

And they started the debrief, which basically consisted on Fury pointing every single mistake they did on the field, and boy was they a lot. Not that Tony noticed, deep in thought as he was, his eyes glancing at each and every one of his teammates every now and then.

"This can't happen again" Fury finally ended "I understand that you were disbanded until just today, and that was allowed because you all were supposed to be a response team. An end-of-the-world kind of last resort, because the Fantastic Four and the X-Men should be able to take care of everything else" Steve looked like he wanted he wanted to say something but Fury cut him off with an irritated huff "Of course, we had plans in motion for all of you. Had, because now it's finally became obvious to the right people that you _are_ needed they've gone to the fucking trash." He took a deep breath and looked to each and every one in the eye "This pitiful performance can not be sen again. People expect heroes to save the day working flawlessly with each other and not making any fucking mistake. And now that it has been decided that the Avengers Initiative are to become another frequent hero team, all of you have to _become_ a team."

"I agree with the sentiment Director" Steve spoke up, nodding "Today we did well despite a few- all of our mistakes" He amended as he seemed to cringe slightly at the memory of Fury's lecture "But next time we may not be that lucky. Next time, our mistakes may cost a life."

The room fell silent, and Tony had to admit, he fully agreed with both of them. Next time they wouldn't be as lucky as today. If the attack had been more coordinated, with more purpose instead of mayhem for the sake of mayhem, the incomplete and slightly uncoordinated Avengers would have needed help to deal with them.

"What does SHIELD want us to do to solve this?" Natasha asked in a way that made Tony suspect that she already knew.

"It has been decided that you are all to live together" Fury answered firmly "Except for Thor, none of you have any reason to live separately."

"Er, I still need to make trips to the west coast for SI" Tony pointed out.

"But you'll still live here" Fury retorted "About you two, agents Romanoff and Barton, you've been assigned to the Team and will work for SHIELD between missions" The spies nodded, their faces devoid of expression.

"Wait, you said here?" Bruce suddenly spoke up "You mean in SHIELD? Because let me tell you, the Other Guy doesn't really like the idea... and neither do I to be honest"

"Nor me" Tony piped up "You won't catch me dead living in those little rectangles SHIELD calls rooms. Also, your lab equipment is awful."

"How do you know about-" Fury started to demand before stopping himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose at the genius's impish grin "Anyway, the matter is being discussed, so for now Romanoff and Barton can stay in their rooms here. As for you two" He looked at Bruce and then at Steve "You'll live in an apartment SHIELD have readied for you."

Tony saw the logic of placing those two together: from everyone presently in that room only Steve would be able to lead with the Hulk if something happened.

"And Stark you'll cancel any trip you have planned this month" Fury ordered, "You'll stay in New York for the time being." Tony rose an eyebrow at the order, scoffing at the thought that someone could order him around.

'But somehow Rogers ordering you around in the battlefield is okay? After admitting you don't play well with other?' Some corner of his mind said.

Tony ignored it, but still shrugged in acquiescence.

"Then that's all. Dismissed" Fury finally said, getting out of the room.

Everyone stood up too and left the room, only Tony staying behind, staring thoughtfully at the one-way, see-through wall of the debriefing room from where the clouds could be seen.

"You see it too, don't you?"

Tony, startled, turned round to see Steve leaning into the door frame.

"The possible future, I mean" Steve clarified, his eyes too staring at the clouds "What we, this team, could become. The potential we have." He then looked at Tony's surprised and slightly bewildered eyes and smiled slightly "I noticed you looking at us and thinking during the Director's lect- the Director's report" He corrected himself.

Tony continued to stare at the blond for a few seconds before chuckling slightly and glancing at the window "You can call it a lecture, Rogers, it's what it was after all" He commented, returning his eyes to the Captain and looking at him so intensely that Steve felt a little uncomfortable. Howard's full attention had been a little overwhelming the few times someone got it, as he was always distracted with projects and the ladies. His son seemed to be the same but worse, always thinking, immersed in that incredible mind of him. This was the first time he'd received Tony's whole attention, and he found it both fascinating and a little nerve wrecking.

Wait, now that he thought about it, that time when they were arguing in the Helicarrier he'd had it too. Two heated orbs, filled with fire even as his voice was calm and level except for those seconds before the explosion that shook them out of the staff's spell.

Curious, Howard's eyes resembled ice when enraged. Just one more difference between both of them, not that he still tried to see Howard in the genius. He started to separate them after seeing Tony fly a nuke through that portal, and in his little vacation driving through the country he'd snapped out of the habit completely by reading all he could about the genius, seeing not only the scandals but the good he did on the side.

But what really made him see that there was more about the genius than what he showed people was an old photograph from after the kidnapping snapped without the billionaire looking. In that photo, he was caught smiling at a redhead who Steve now knew to be Virginia "Pepper" Potts.

That smile... that smile wasn't anything like any other smile in all those articles and reports. Those smiles filled with cockiness and superiority seemed natural unless you saw a real smile from the man. And catch it that photo did, not that anyone noticed. The smile on that photo was smaller than his usual ones, soft and full of warmth and emotion.

It was that photo that made him able to see the mask he wore on all the interviews and news articles, the plastic StarkTM smirks and smiles.

It also made him curious about how he truly was.

Tony's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, making him blink and say "Sorry?"

"Did something happen in that little voyage of yours?" Tony repeated.

"What? No, nothing out of the usual, why?" Steve asked, confused.

"Just noticed you don't have that stick shoved so far up your ass anymore," He said with a smirk (not fake, Steve realized, but not genuine) "You're more relaxed or something."

"Oh" Steve said softly, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Not that I care" Tony added with a shrug "Just an observation"

In the future he would be able to see that dismissal as Tony's way to give you a way out from talking about something that made you uncomfortable. For now though, the only thing he could notice was that he didn't mean to insult him and that's it, so Steve let it pass.

"Anyway, you haven't actually answered my question" He pointed out, returning to their previous conversation.

Tony fell silent and turned to his previous position staring at the clouds.

"I do" He finally admitted after a minute of silence in which Steve patiently waited for his teammate's answer "There is... something there, between all us. Potential, possibilities. I'm a futurist after all, it's my job to notice this kind of things and plan ahead" He added with a nonchalant shrug "That's why I know Fury's idea is the correct one"

Something in his voice made Steve smile slightly and say "You have an idea don't you? About Fury's plan"

"I may get involved in that discussion, yes" Tony agreed calmly, not looking at him, though the slight tenseness of his shoulders betrayed his surprise at Steve's intuition. A few seconds later he added "I supposse that you being team leader and all that I should run the idea through you first."

Steve blinked at that, surprised at Tony's consideration to his authority. Authority that he had granted him, now that Steve thought about it. 'Call it Cap'...

Steve shook his head slightly. He'd think about that later. For now he should encourage this behavour on his teammate, be delicate...

"I thought you didn't play well with others?" Was what came out of his mouth. Crap.

Thankfully Tony only chuckled and turned around to face him "I can be civil though, and if what I'm going to propose goes through I'd prefer to avoid any resentment between us for now"

Steve nodded, slightly confused about the secretism but understanding what he wanted to say. The proposal concerned the team living together, which meant that both of them would have to share a living space. They both had very strong, some could even say opposite, personalities, so even though they were now getting along both of them acknowledged that sooner or later they'd clash again, and not only once. But they also tacitly agreed that the 'later' it happened the better, so for now they were willing to avoid any reason for an argument between them.

"I understand" Was his response "What is it?"

Tony seemed to think for a moment before coming to a decision that made him move towards the door"I guess it'd be better if I showed you, that way if you agree you can make the necessary modifications for yours and all that..." He trailed off, immersed in his thoughts while walking away, Steve following him after a second of bewilderment at the 'modifications for yours' part and taking some time to appreciate the fact that the genius was able to be immersed on his head and avoid crashing into any wall with a bit of awe and a lot of amusement, imagining that it must've taken him time to master that and how the 'mastering' must've go. He let out a chuckle at those images.

"Something funny?" Tony asked, getting out of his head and cocking an eyebrow at him. Steve just shook his head and chuckled again. Tony blinked, but let it be and leaded the way towards the quinjet that would leave them on the SHIELD compound in the ground where vehicles would take the heroes to New York. Except for Tony, who would take his armor, of course. And the captain too.

This was going to be fun, Tony thought with a slight smirk.

"Now who's laughing?" Steve commented, looking at him. Tony shrugged and they both continued walking in silence.

After they left the Quinjet that left them just outside the compound, where the cars where already waiting, Tony suited up and extended a hand towards Steve.

"Come on Cap, hop on and let's blow this popsicle stand"

"Go where?" Steve asked, surprised.

"To the tower. I did say it was better to show you, didn't I?" The smirk was clear on his voice.

"Stark Tower? What do you- oh, your proposal" Steve realized, stepping closer to the armor.

"Mr. Stark, we have orders to take Captain Rogers and Doctor Banner to their appartment right away" One of the SHIELD agents tried to protest.

"I'll take him there later, Bruce can text the address" Tony said with a wave at Bruce, who nodded with a confused expression on his face as he stared at them, along with the Spy Duo, who couldn't also believe what was happening. Didn't this two get on like water and oil?

"But-"

"Well Cap?" Tony insisted, ignoring the poor agent who was still trying to protest. Steve looked at the agent with an apologetic look and a sheepish smile and closed the distance that separated him from the armor. With an audible smirk Tony instructed him where to put his arms and feet and they took off.

"Woah!" Steve exclaimed when they were high in the air.

"Hold on tight, this is going to be a wild ride" Tony laughed. Steve, siddenly wary of him, held tighter as Tony suddenly increased the speed slightly, though he didn't go as fast as he'd sometimes seen him go, he noticed.

"Jarvis said that at this speed we'll get there in half an hour" Reported Tony, making Steve nod and wonder who that 'Jarvis' was.

Whoever it was, he sure was accurate, because exactly half an hour later they were flying over New York. Steve gasped slightly at the view of the city bathed in the warm light of the sunset, his fingers itching for some paints to sketch this.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Tony asked breaking the silence that had fallen beteen them.

"It is" Steve answered truthfully "I actually envy you a bit for being able to see this whenever you want"

"Yeah, the sights aren't bad are they?" Tony chuckled "It's one of my favourite ways to realax, to take a suit and just... fly. It makes you feel incredibly free, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it does" Steve smiled, feeling that he now understood the man a little better.

"Anyway, we are about to land, so careful," Tony said, breaing the mood. Steve looked at the fornt and there it was, Stark Tower in all its esplendor. Or well, nearly.

"You didn't fix the letters?" He asked, surprised to still see the lonely A on the building.

"It felt like an omen" Was Tony's only response.

"What?"

" A Japanese word for prediction. You'll understand in a few minutes."

And two minutes later, they landed on the top of the top of the tower, Tony walking calmly as machines popped out of the ground and satrted taking the armor off, leaving Tony armorless by the time they were on the penthouse.

"You could have warned me about that," Steve said, warily eyeing the ground.

"Your manly yelp was too funny to miss" Tony smirked, making Steve flush with embarrassment, because yes, he'd yelped when the first machine popped out.

"Jerk" He grumbled, following Tony inside and still watching the ground, which made Tony laugh.

"Don't worry Rogers, there are no more machines on the ground"

"Welcome back, sir. Captain Rogers." Greeted an incroporeal voice, making Steve grab his shield and tense, looking alertly around.

"Woa, down boy" Tony joked, amused at his reaction "That was Jarvis, my AI"

"Your AI?" Steve blinked, then his eyes widened in realization "Oh yeah, the one you built when you were twenty wasn't it?"

Now it was Tony who blinked in surprise "Well informed, aren't you?" He mused, staring at him.

Steve flushed.

"Not that I was stalking you or anything!" He quickly said, waving his arms "I was just curious about you, that's all!"

"Don't worry about it" Tony chuckled after a second of hesitance "It's all public knowledge after all. Anyway, Jarvis, Steve Rogers. Rogers, Jarvis"

"Apleasure to meet you Captain" The british voice said.

"Likewise" Steve answered automatically, his good manners well taught "So, what did you want to show me?" Steve asked Tony.

"Oh, yeah. J, my man, show us project Avengers one" Tony asked. Instantly, blue holograms appeared in a strange-looking table next to the bar. Steve approached the table, curious, and what he saw there blew his mind.

"Yeah, so this was the idea" Tony started "I've made plans for a common floor of course, but this would be your personal living spaces, here let me show you yours so you can modify the plans however you want..."

While Tony latched into a long explanation Steve just tried to assimilate what he was seeing, vaguely catching words like 'the main color theme for your floor is...' or 'the communal gym would be equipped with...' that made it seem more real somehow.

"Okay, okay, wait" He finally said, cutting Tony off mid-rant "Just... what is this?" He asked, needing the verval, direct confirmation.

"The plans for Avengers Tower, our HQ?" Tony said slowly "With a floor for each one, a common floor, a gym, archery range, swimming pool-"

"I get it" Steve said, overwhelmed and cutting him off again. After a few seconds of silence where he finally managed to get his head around what Tony was proposing, was _offering them_ he said "No"

"No? Why? I mean, this would be perfect wouldn't it? If you say it because the separate floors kind of defeats the idea of living together we can just spend our time on the common floor and with the team training and excersises, maybe even planning a movie night aor something, all that could be solved! Or if it's something about the floors, I can totally change them, I mean, I can throw down a wall or build one or-"

"No!" Steve exclaimed interrupting him for a third time "That's not what I mean, the floors are great, the idea is great, the whole proyect is incredible Tony, it's just-" He paused a second, realizing that he'd hurt the man refusing the proyect he'd obviously spent so much time on "Look, this is too much" He finally said "We can't honestly accept so much, or well it's more like I can't accept so much, I'd feel bad taking advantage of your generosity-"

"It's no problem, honestly!" Tony exclaimed, this time being the one interrupting the other "I have the space and more money than I know what to do with. It would be done in a few weeks"

"So soon?" Steve asked, startled.

"Well, yeah, I had to basically reconstruct the tower after the that sonuva bitch Loki destroyed it, so Pepper and I planned ahead and just added the infraestructure necessary for each floor" Tony said in a nonchalant voice, as if he hadn't just admitted he'd planned for the Avengers to live here all along "Just in case, you know, the team needed somewhere to stay someday, or to use it as a second option if SHIELD becomes evil and forces us to cut ties with them or something."

Steve blinked at that second reason. He didn't really like thinking SHIELD could betray them in any way, but the _were_ an intelligence organization which motives were unknown 98% of the time so that was a possibility. And if that happened, they'd definitely need a safe place to regroup and plan things, and he didn't doubt that the Tower had an state-of-the-art security system, maybe even designed by Tony himself.

"Come on Steve, the idea id perfect! We'd have all the comodities while also having everything we might need to stay ready in case we are needed, our HQ would be pretty central in New York, we have a Stark-made quinjet for our use" Okay, Steve hadn't known about that "And we are as safe as a bunker, I coded the security system myself" Called it "And Jarvis would alert us of anything!"

All those were fair and very valid points, Steve had to admit-

Wait a second.

"Steve?"

"Only fair if you get to call me Tony" Tony pointed out. Steve reviewed what he'd said on his head and cringed slightly "I did, didn't I?" He asked with a sheepish smile "Sorry"

"Nah, don't worry, we are going to live together after all, even if it's not here, so calling ourselves by our last names would be weird, especially if we want to 'become a team'. Besides, Stark was my father" He added with one of his plastic smiles.

Oh yeah, Howard. The landmine standing between them.

"Anyway, what do you say? Does it have your approval?" Tony gestured at the hologram. Steve thought for a second before he let out a sigh and smiled at him "Yes, it's perfect. Thank you"

"Don't worry about it" Tony dismissed indifferently but Steve could notice he was pleased "Well, I'll cal Fury tomorrow to tell him about it. Now I guess I should return Cinderella to her house before the evil one-eyed stepmother misses her" Steve chuckled at the comparison and let Tony guide him to the elevator that took them to the garage where Tony chose a car to drive Steve to the texted addres provided by Bruce.

Steve watched Tony drive away with a smile. He had been wrong about him from the very start. After all, opening you home and giving floors to people he could barely call aquitances was in no one's dictionary as the definition of 'selfishness'.

The proposal was a go, and a month later the team moved into the Tower.

At first Tony thought it had been a huge mistake after all.

They were all different people with different personalities and life experiences. They were, as Bruce had said, a ticking bomb waiting to explode, because there couldn't honestly be a more unstable mix of personalities here, even if he and Steve could see the potential in them.

And issues. Oh God, the issues between them.

Tony and Steve had Howard Stark between them, remembering him in different ways, having polar opposite opinions about him, along with the clashing-caused arguments between them that they'd predicted. Then there was Natsaha, who he still didn't trust, and he didn't really know Clint enough to trust him too much too. The fact that he and Natasha were always together wasn't exactly a point on his favour.

And Thor, well, once he finally returned from Lalaland he turned out to be rather likeable, even if he was slightly arrogant, but there was still the issue of his brother slightly between them.

Really, the only one he was friends with was Bruce, his science bro as he had nicknamed the man.

And talking about Bruce, Tony wasn't the only one with issues. Living with the man he wanted to emulate and that had the same serum than him, the serum that turned the man into a perfect human and him into a monster, wasn't exactly comfortable for Bruce. And he too had been deceived by Natasha...

As for the others, the spy twins were, as said before, always together and didn't exactly talk to the others, and Steve, even though he could be seen mostly at the common floor chatting with the others, looked a bit awkward living in such a expensive place without any rent or anything.

In sum, this team thing was starting to look like a bad idea which would end in disaster.

But then, something happened. Something Tony, with his scientifical mind and views, was still reluctant to call 'Fate', though it couldn't honestly be anything else.

How else could you explain the five people of the team having a nightmare the same night at the same time?

"I see I'm not the only one suffering from imsomnia"

The team all flickered their eyes at him, some smiling slightly in welcome, some ignoring his words.

"You can't sleep too?" Bruce asked softly.

"What can I say, sleep seems to hate me the best of days, but today it was slightly more vicious" Shrugged Tony, helping himself to the hot cocoa that was on a jar in the middle of the table and trying to forget the cold of space, the emptiness of the twinkling stars and the feel of hands on his chest and water on his face, while Howards voice was telling him that he would never be good enough.

It was like all of his traumas had finally met and decided to hang out together on his dreams that night.

"Yeah, same happened to all of us it seems" Steve said with a weak smile, wrapped in a thick blanket even though the room was already warm.

"Well the, there's just one thing to do" Tony decided "J, movie please"

And thus Avengers movie night was born.

After that first night watching movies until they were all relaxed enough to comment and even joke lightly, the team started to feel more comfortable with each other. And once Steve decided to satrt team training excercises, like sparring and frinedly competitions, everything falled into place like domino chips.

Little by little they got closer and closer as a group, until it got to the point where they were never seen alone, but in pairs, trios or the whole team together. The various missions, battles and inevitable kidnappings only helped to strengthen the bond between them.

But even then, they ddidn't feel really completed until they finally discovered Coulson was alive. Which was a memorable day for everyone, especially Fury, who sported a black eye courtesy of Nat. After that, the feeling of completion was, pun not intended, completed.

And like that they satyed, each having the other's back, even Coulson, who had accepted the family-like relatinship between the group with gusto.

Yes, family like. Because that was what they were, though Tony didn't realize this until a particularly hard kidnapping where torture was included in the menu. His team had rescued him, cared for him and helped him with his nightmares.

It was in one of the nightmare nights, in the middle of preparing for a movie night. Tony was walking towards the living room from fetching the chocolate, which had turned into a tradition for nightmare nights, the rest of the team sprawled in the couches or the floor, when Tony paused and took in the scene: Nat's head rested in Bruce's estomach, Clint laying under her with his feet on Phil's's lap, while Bruce's feet rested on Steve's lap and Steve was snuggled into the wide frame of Thor, who was for some reason the warmest and everyone's favourite pillow.

The word came unbidden to his mind.

 _Family._

Tony smiled at the rightness he felt applying that word to the people in the room.

Steve turned his head and smiled at him, bruce lifting his feet obligingly to make space for Tony. Tony's smile widened and sata between the scientist and the supersoldier, Bruce's feet now on both of their laps and Tony's waight comfortably on Steve's side.

"So, what are we watching?"

* * *

 _I don't care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching? They are your real family._

 _Jim Butcher_

 **A/N: And that's it. Sorry for the Steve &Tony bit, there is NO Stony here I swear, just family. It's just that their dynamic is so fascinating and Marvel always depict them as entangled with each other in some way, no matter the universe (there's even one where they marry!) that I couldn't resist.**

 **Now I'll try and focus on BYAMM(s), so seeya there! :)**


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